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Bird name:

Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza georgianaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)
Codes: Common Name: SWSP Scientific Name: MELGEO ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179488
Least Concern
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Swamp Sparrow Breeding Adult
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Attracting Clingers

Overview

Swamp Sparrow: Small sparrow with dark-streaked brown upperparts, gray upper breast, and pale gray, faintly streaked underparts. Head has rust-brown cap with paler median stripe and gray face. The wings are rust-brown with black-and-white streaks. Eats seeds, insects. Pink legs, feet.


Range and Habitat

Swamp Sparrow: Breeds in Canada and the northern regions of eastern and central U.S., and spends winters in southeastern U.S. and Mexico. Preferred habitats include freshwater marshes, wetlands, bogs, and margins along streams and ponds; also found in salt marshes.

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Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat", "zeee", "chip"

Interesting Facts

 The Swamp Sparrow has longer legs than other members of its genus; this adaptation allows it to wade in shallow water to forage.

 It sometimes sticks its head under water to try to capture aquatic invertebrates.

 They begin singing very early in the day and will sometimes sing through the night, especially when there is moonlight.

 A group of sparrows has many collective nouns, including a "crew", "flutter", "meinie", "quarrel", and "ubiquity" of sparrows.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

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Range Map for Swamp Sparrow

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Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Melospiza georgiana
Length4.75 - 5.75 Inches
Wingspan7.75 Inches

Swamp Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow: Small sparrow with dark-streaked brown upperparts, gray upper breast, and pale gray, faintly streaked underparts. Head has rust-brown cap with paler median stripe and gray face. The wings are rust-brown with black-and-white streaks. Eats seeds, insects. Pink legs, feet.

● Song: "peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat", "zeee", "chip"

● Foraging & Feeding: Swamp Sparrow: Feeds on beetles, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, and seeds; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Swamp Sparrow: Three to six pale green eggs marked with red brown are laid in a bulky cup nest made of grass, lined with finer grass, and built in emergent vegetation over water. Incubation ranges from 12 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Swamp Sparrow: Song and Lincoln's sparrows lack rust-brown wings and have extensive dark streaks across breasts.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.
Swamp Sparrow Breeding Adult Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Swamp Sparrow: Breeds in Canada and the northern regions of eastern and central U.S., and spends winters in southeastern U.S. and Mexico. Preferred habitats include freshwater marshes, wetlands, bogs, and margins along streams and ponds; also found in salt marshes.
BreedingMonogamous, Loose colonies
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.8 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CapX
The area on top of the head of the bird.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX